Browsing: Veteran issues

First, marvel at incoming CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert’s arm strength and levitation skills. Then, scroll down to learn more about what the comedian, and others, are up to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZgZx8dQvO8 Colbert, no stranger to acts of video lunacy for the benefit of service members, is the latest celebrity to participate in the #GiveThem20 Challenge, an attempt by the nonprofit American Corporate Partners to raise awareness of the challenges facing veterans as they return to civilian life. ACP mentors thousands of veterans making that transition and maintains various online resources that connect vets to support personnel and potential employers. Learn…

A veteran of the war in Afghanistan has been told he should suffer for his service. Retired Army Capt. Matt Zeller says he fought for Americans to freely express themselves, but what he saw on his windshield crossed the line. Zeller was out grocery shopping in Virginia Sunday when he returned to find the following note on his car: “You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a murdered if you ‘served’ in Afghanistan. I hope you watch your child starve and die in front of you, as you have done to the people of Afghanistan.” “I have a young…

[HTML1] Retired Staff Sgt. Travis Mills is a quadruple amputee who was critically injured by an IED while out on patrol during his third tour in Afghanistan. On Friday, he jumped out of a freakin’ airplane at 13,000 freakin’ feet while attached to a member of the Golden Knights parachute team. The Army documented the entire event in the skies above Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., and Mills is just fun to watch. When the plane is climbing to 6,000 feet, the cameraman inquires how Mills is feeling. Mills, with a huge grin on his face, says he’s ready to…

Seven initiatives are on the table in Congress to improve GI Bill benefits, especially for family members. What’s in store? Read more. While the GI Bill might get beefed up, Special Duty Assignment Pay is not. Thousands of enlisted soldiers will have their SDAP reduced or eliminated under a budget-driven overhaul of the SDAP program. Good news is still out there for soldiers looking to save their careers during the drawdown by switching to an understrength MOS. See the list of hot MOSs, and the latest on bonuses for critical skills, in the print issue.

See our 2014 rankings of the top colleges for soldiers. Some of the factors we took a look at include how each college supports soldiers and vets, their academic quality and the financial aid they offer. Some good news: More traditional universities are embracing distance learning. See our 2014 rankings of the Best for Vets colleges in the Nov. 18 print issue of Army Times, on sale now. Also in this week’s issue: As the Army enters a large period of force reduction, staying in is getting harder. With the fiscal 2014 reenlistment window opening for some active duty soldiers,…

Congress voted to restore death benefits to military families Oct. 10 but not before the Fisher House Foundation first offered to pay the families the death gratuity. Families typically receive the money from the government after a service member dies and it helps to cover the funeral expenses of their fallen loved ones. In gratitude to the foundation, several military community Facebook pages started a fundraiser to benefit Fisher House. Led by the administrators of the Facebook page Stolen Valor, and with the help of the admins of Awesome Sh*t My Drill Sergeant Said, U.S. Army WTF! Moments, Battle In…

By Jeff Schogol In one of the most sickening displays of disrespect toward a veteran since the Vietnam War, students swore at and harassed retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, who recently began teaching a class at the City University of New York. A video posted on Youtube titled “CUNY Students Confront War Criminal David Petraeus” shows Petraeus walking through a gauntlet of students who aggressively taunt him for close to 90 seconds. “There’s blood all over you, I can smell it,” one student yells. Petraeus, who served as the top U.S. commander in both Iraq and Afghanistan, takes the abuse…

There’s the U.S. Army and there’s the KISS Army. One is a branch of the United States military while the other is the fan club of the legendary rock band that first rose to prominence in the 1970s. A veteran of both armies, Paul Jordan can look forward to spending time with the band as a roadie on its 44-city tour with Mötley Crüe. A lifelong fan, Jordan beat out more than 1,900 other hopefuls who applied for the job as part of the Hiring Our Heroes program. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and NBC News kicked off the initiative…

Two stories appeared May 14 that look at how military veterans, particularly those of the two most recent wars, might vote in the upcoming presidential election. A Reuters piece, “Weary warriors favor Obama,” suggests that vets are reluctant to check the box for a hawk after a decade of war. “Only 32 percent [of veterans who served in the last decade] think the war in Iraq ended successfully, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. And far more of them would pull out of Afghanistan than continue military operations there. … If the election were held today, Obama would win the…